Throughout “Brave New World”, several characters experienced some type of “exile”. Many of the examples seen throughout the novel do not fit into the traditional definition of the word exile. We see several instances in which characters are not only physically separated from those in their birthplace but are emotionally separated from those around them. John, or “The Savage”, exemplifies both physical and emotional separation from his home. John experiences exile in both his home on the savage reservations and when he leaves to go to the “civilized” world with Bernard and Lenina. His experiences of exile throughout the novel are alienating because he is considered an outcast in his homeland and in the World State. They are also enriching …show more content…
because he was able to develop his own unique morals and values based on Shakespeare and his experiences in both the World State and the Savage Reservations. John’s experiences of exile were alienating because he was considered an outcast in his homeland and the World State.
He was an outcast in his homeland because he was the son of two people from the “civilized world”. He was not allowed to partake in the rituals that the other boys his age participated in because of his “white hair” and because he was “the son of the she-dog” (Page 136). People “sang horrible songs about Linda” and “laughed at him for being so ragged” (Page 129). John was also an outcast in the World State. They called him “the Savage” because of the way he was raised in the reservation. He was treated like a zoo animal by Bernard for being different. In both the “civilized” world and the “savage” world he was an outcast. John says, “If one’s different, one’s bound to be lonely. They’re beastly to one” (Page 136). He left his home on the reservation because he thought he would be going to a “brave new world” in which he would fit in and be accepted. The way things turned out were not as John expected and he was once again lonely. His loneliness was ultimately one of the main reasons for his …show more content…
death. John’s experiences of exile were enriching because he developed his own unique morals and values based on Shakespeare and his experiences in both the World State and the Savage Reservations.
John’s mother, Linda, taught him to read by drawing “pictures on the wall- an animal sitting down, a baby inside a bottle; then she wrote letters” (Page 129). He was given a book of Shakespeare by one of his mother's lovers. The story “talked wonderfully and only half-understandably, a terrible beautiful magic” (Page 132). He was able to relate to Shakespeare’s stories and use them in his own life even though he didn’t fully understand them. He used Shakespeare as justification to kill Pope. He also uses many Shakespearean themes and references to criticize the World State. John references “Othello” while talking to Mustapha Mond because “only in Othello’s words could he find an adequate vehicle for his contempt and hatred” about Shakespeare being banned in the World State (Page 219). John’s Shakespearean values represent the lack of emotional and humanitarian values in the World
State. John’s experiences contribute to Huxley’s warning about two extreme worlds. The Savage reservation represents a world without laws, rules, regulations or education. The World State represents a technology-filled, manufactured, overly groomed, “perfect world”. Huxley is trying to warn us about what would happen if we moved towards either type of extreme society. Huxley is also trying to warn about the expansion and dependence on technology. The people in the World State do not know anything about anything that is considered “old”. This is highlighted by the fact that Shakespeare and other works are banned. They also lack emotional and humanitarian values. Huxley contrasts the citizens of the World States values with John’s to show how different they are. Exile was a recurring theme throughout “Brave New World”. Many characters experiences with exile helped shape the novel and convey its overall purpose. John experienced physical and emotional exile from those around him in the World State and on the Savage Reservations. His experiences helped contribute to the overall theme of the book and proved both enriching and alienating. John’s character served as a balance between both settings and he was the ultimate protagonist.
John and Othello are physically and socially isolated from society. John is a self-imposed outcast because he doesn't want to
In Brave New World, there are three societies: the civilized society of Bernard and Mustapha Mond, the savage society of John and Linda, and the old society, which is not explicitly in the book but is described by the characters. These societies are vastly different. The old society is 20th century Western society; the civilized society creates people and conditions them for happiness and stability; and the savage society is very far behind the civilized society technologically, and is very religious. John is a very important character in the novel because he represents the link between all three of these societies.
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Bernard, Helmholtz, and John are the few individuals in the Brave New World. They differ from the rest of society, because they recognize their uniqueness and realize that they are apart from society. It is because of their self-realization of their individuality that they are condemned to be ostracized from society and to live outside the Brave New World.
Living with the savages, John feels isolated from the savages as they exclude him from most of their norms. John wanted to attend the ceremonies that the savages held, but they didn’t let him, as he states, “But they wouldn’t let me. They disliked me for my complexion. It’s always been like that. Always” (Huxley 111).
Shakespeare, William. Othello. Ed. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, 2009. Print
Picture this- William Harold Shakespeare, the most coveted playwriter in the history of the world, sitting at his desk, perspicaciously pondering over what shall become his most prominant and delicated tragedy of yet. Of course, given what little is known about Shakespeere displays, such deepseated imagery cannot simply be accomplished without first the propriety of haste and vinction.And yet, his very own rhetorical vibe displays allows such a vague pictoration to be concieved. Throughout the whole of Othello, the great Shakespeare remarks through an astounding displays show of pronouns, allitteration, and cacophonous diction his own resentment of both the King of Italy and the poor conditions of the said novelist.
Jones, Eldred. "Othello- An Interpretation" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 39-55)
-- -- --. Introduction. The Folger Library General Reader’s Shakespeare: The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice. New York: Washington Square Press, 1957.
The lack of individuality and spirituality not only kept John from expressing himself but led him to his untimely demise. Sexual freedom is a huge part of the new dystopian society. John wasn’t too fond of the idea of a world where everyone belongs to everyone. This type of mindset got his mother, Linda, shunned in the society of the savages. She slept with all the husbands in the society which led to John not being able to fit in.
Barthelemy, Anthony G. "Introduction" Critical Essays on Shakespeare's Othello. Ed. Anthony G. Barthelemy Pub. Macmillan New York, NY 1994. (page 1-19)
Mowat, Barbara A. and Paul Werstine, ed. Introduction. Shakespeare: Othello. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.
The poem “Exile” by Julia Alvarez dramatizes the conflicts of a young girl’s family’s escape from an oppressive dictatorship in the Dominican Republic to the freedom of the United States. The setting of this poem starts in the city of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, which was renamed for the brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo; however, it eventually changes to New York when the family succeeds to escape. The speaker is a young girl who is unsophisticated to the world; therefore, she does not know what is happening to her family, even though she surmises that something is wrong. The author uses an extended metaphor throughout the poem to compare “swimming” and escaping the Dominican Republic. Through the line “A hurried bag, allowing one toy a piece,” (13) it feels as if the family were exiled or forced to leave its country. The title of the poem “Exile,” informs the reader that there was no choice for the family but to leave the Dominican Republic, but certain words and phrases reiterate the title. In this poem, the speaker expresser her feeling about fleeing her home and how isolated she feels in the United States.
11 Dec. 2011. The "Othello". Shakespeare for Students: Critical Interpretations of Shakespeare's Plays and Poetry. Ed. Anne Marie Hacht.
Essential to the success of Othello is the fact that the issues and themes explored in this tragedy, written by Shakespeare in about 1604, are still relevant to the modern audience. The interest of an audience is held by themes that are fundamental to the human condition, as these reflect our world and examine human nature. Othello explores the issues of racism, gender, domestic violence, the supernatural and the pathology of the entirely evil person, which are all remarkably relevant to our time. Thus the interest of the audience is held, as issues that affect the viewers and readers of the play spark individual opinions, reflection and thought.